Shoe-cap protector



May 5, 1925.

J. GAWRONSKI SHOE CAP PROTECTOR Filed Feb. 14, 1923 (Tuomq Jon-g4 65 v i of.

Patented May 5, 1925.

JOSEPH GAWRONSKI, OF SEATTLE, WASHFNGTONI' SHOE-CAP Application filed February To all w/iom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn Gawnonsur. a citizenof Poland, residing at Seattle, in the county of King, State of \Vashington,have invented certain new and useful I1nprovemerits in ShoeCap Protectors, of: which the folkiwing is a specification.

invention are to provide such a device which will be thick and high enough to provide an effective wearing surface in front of and on each side of the toe of the shoe; which will not extend over the cap or otl'ierwise make the shoe too stifffor comfort, and which will uuiti-irially increase the life of the shoe. In order to accomplish these objects it is necessary to form the protecting strip so that its central portion is longer than its edges and the object of the improvement in the art to shape and manipulate this strip so as to aCCOll'llJllSll this purpose.

I attain these and other objects by the devices, forms and arrangements illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a shoe provided with my device; Fig. 2 isa plan view thereof: Fig. 3 a plan of the strip of leather from which the protector is made; Fig. l is a sea tion of the front portion of the protector, as shaped; and l 5 IS a side elevation there similar parts throughout the several views.

This devicecoinprlses a thick piece of solo leather 1, shaped, scraped, and bent so as to form a thick pad orwearing surfaceQ, extending up froni the sole 3 to a point substantially level with thetop of the toe cap l in front, and of gradually lessening height on each side; said piece 1 being. sc'aped Similar numerals of reference refer to rnorncron.

14, 1923. Serial No. 619,001.

(Fig; 4.) it is evident that the bent part 7', formingthe lower edge of the wearing surface 2, must be slightly longer than the top edge 8 and that the edge of the part 5 must also be short-er than the said bent part 7. 1t is further evident that the top edge 8 cannot, in practice, he cut or slashed in order to shorten it but must be of one continuous piece of leather. 'lherefore the piece 1 must be of a shape somewhat similar to that shown in Fig. 3, depending in detail on the shape and size of the shoe toe to be protected. This shape is such that the lay-out of the leather is roughly of crcs ent shape, the inner line ofthe crescent being the top edge 8 of the protector, the line of the bent part7 bc' ing substantially the center line of the (resf cent, and the part of the crescent outward from the line 7 being scraped thin to litbetween the soles and being); cut or slitiat points 9 therein, as needed, in order to per.- init the horns of the crescent to be folded back into the reversed position.

i In practice, then, 1 form a piece of sole leather of such a shape, slicing or scraping the part 5 thin and cutting serrations S) therein, as needed. 'llheinafter proper soaking and softening, the center part of the part 5 is fastened in place and the wearing pad2 is bent up tightly against the shoe toe;

then one side and then the other side are bent and pressed into position "and the part 5 is secured in place in the usual way at vari-. ous points therealong, thus holding the said protector tightly against the shoe toe. After this the sole 3 is fastened in place, being made long enough to extend beyond the bend .7 of the protector. I Thus it willbeseen that I have provider an effective wearing surface in front of and. i on each side of the toe of the shoe, and that said surface is made to lit the shoe as above described. I am aware that others have taken a single thickness of shoe leather and have carved it out so that a thickness shut lar to an extra sole extends around the lower portion of the shoetoe, but-this protection is of no value for the rough usage of shoes in many industries, and to extend their device to a practical depmi would be impossibk as no leather known would he of sulficier!- thickness for this purpose, therefore it na:

length than the central part thereof, Where- 10 by the bending of the protector to pass the same under the shoe toe places the upper edge of the protector under tension, thus causing said protector to be held in contact with the shoe toe and preventing the same 15 from sagging in front thereof.

JOSEPH GAWRONSKL 

